History Trivia / RideTheHighCountry

* ProductionPosse: This marked the first gathering of many of Creator/SamPeckinpah's favorite collaborators, like actors Creator/RGArmstrong, Creator/WarrenOates, and L.Q. Jones, and cinematographer Lucien Ballard.

* WriteWhoYouKnow: Creator/SamPeckinpah tailored much of the character of Steve Judd to reflect his own father, David, a lawyer and judge who believed very strongly in honesty and principled behavior, who'd passed away a few months before his son began work on the film. Judd's most memorable line, "I just want to enter my house justified," was a Bible-reference line he often heard his father say. On seeing the finished film, Peckinpah's sister cried, struck by how effectively and completely he had captured the essence of "the old man" on screen. Peckinpah biographer David Weddle also suggests that Joshua Knudsen was a reflection of Sam's overbearing, judgmental mother Fern.
** Peckinpah put a number of other details and impressions from his own life into the script. His ancestors were true Westerners, and there was a mountain named for the Peckinpahs near Coarsegold, the real-life town where the two lawmen in the movie ride to retrieve a shipment of gold. In his childhood, Peckinpah had been taken by his grandfather to a town very much like the mining town in the movie.

* BreakthroughHit: For Creator/SamPeckinpah.

* CaliforniaDoubling: Ironically the case for a film set in California. Filming began in the Sierra Nevada mountains where the story was set, but an October snowstorm led to a costly delay, and Creator/{{MGM}} ordered Peckinpah back to Hollywood to finish the film. That's [[Main/BBCQuarry Bronson Canyon]] playing the role of Coarsegold.

** In the late 1980s Creator/CharltonHeston considered starring in a remake with Creator/ClintEastwood.

** The film's original ending had [[spoiler:Westrum dying and Judd surviving. Creator/SamPeckinpah felt it more poignant that Westrum is redeemed by promising the dying Judd that he will deliver the gold, so the characters' outcome were reversed]].

* ProductionPosse: This marked the first gathering of many of Creator/SamPeckinpah's favorite collaborators, like actors Creator/RGArmstrong, Warren Oates and L.Q. Jones, and cinematographer Lucien Ballard.

* ProductionPosse: This marked the first gathering of many of Creator/SamPeckinpah's favorite collaborators, like actors R.G. Armstrong, Warren Oates and L.Q. Jones, and cinematographer Lucien Ballard.

** Creator/JoelMcCrea was originally cast as Westrum and Creator/RandolphScott was Judd. But early in the production each actor went to the producer on his own, dissatisfied and ready to quit, so the roles were reversed.

* CastTheRunnerUp: Creator/JoelMcCrea was originally cast as Westrum and Creator/RandolphScott was Judd. But early in the production each actor went to the producer on his own, dissatisfied and ready to quit, so the roles were reversed.

* WriteWhoYouKnow: Creator/SamPeckinpah tailored much of the character of Steve Judd to reflect his own father, David, a lawyer and judge who believed very strongly in honesty and principled behavior, and who'd passed away a few months before filming began. Judd's most memorable line, "I just want to enter my house justified," was a Bible-reference line he often heard his father say. On seeing the finished film, Peckinpah's sister cried, struck by how effectively and completely he had captured the essence of "the old man" on screen. Peckinpah biographer David Weddle also suggests that Joshua Knudsen was a reflection of Sam's overbearing, judgmental mother Fern.

* WriteWhoYouKnow: Creator/SamPeckinpah tailored much of the character of Steve Judd to reflect his own father, David, a lawyer and judge who believed very strongly in honesty and principled behavior. Judd's most memorable line, "I just want to enter my house justified," was a Bible-reference line he often heard his father say. On seeing the finished film, Peckinpah's sister cried, struck by how effectively and completely he had captured the essence of "the old man" on screen. Peckinpah biographer David Weddle also suggests that Joshua Knudsen was a reflection of Sam's overbearing, judgmental mother Fern.

* CaliforniaDoubling: Ironically the case for a film set in California. Filming began in the Sierra Nevada mountains where the story was set, but an October snowstorm led to a costly delay, and Creator/{{MGM}} told Peckinpah to come back to Hollywood to finish the film. That's [[Main/BBCQuarry Bronson Canyon]] playing the role of Coarsegold.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Although the movie was completed in only 26 days, Creator/SamPeckinpah ran into problems when Joseph R. Vogel replaced Sol Siegel as Creator/{{MGM}}'s chief executive. The mogul allegedly fell asleep while screening the film and later proclaimed it "the worst picture I ever saw," dooming its chances for a successful commercial run. MGM had no faith in Ride the High Country and dumped it on the market as the lower half of double features.

* WriteWhoYouKnow: Creator/SamPeckinpah tailored much of the character of Steve Judd to reflect his own father. Judd's most memorable line, "I just want to enter my house justified," was a Bible-reference line he often heard his father say. On seeing the finished film, Peckinpah's sister cried, struck by how effectively and completely he had captured the essence of "the old man" on screen.
** Peckinpah put a number of other details and impressions from his own life into the script. His ancestors were true Westerners, and there was a mountain named for the Peckinpahs near Coarse Gold, the real-life town where the two lawmen in the movie ride to retrieve a shipment of gold. In his childhood, Peckinpah had been taken by his grandfather to a town very much like the mining town in the movie.

** Creator/JoelMcCrea was originally cast as Westrum and Creator/RandolphScott was Judd. But early in the production each actor went to the producer on his own, dissatisfied and ready to quit, so the roles were reversed.

* PrimaDonnaDirector: Creator/SamPeckinpah began his practice of firing people for one mistake, such as a young sound boom operator who allowed the boom to creep into the shot. The harsh practice became such a habit that even Peckinpah acknowledged he was prone to it, giving producer Richard Lyons a photo of himself signed "To Dick Lyons - Get rid of 'em - Sam Peckinpah."
** He liked to tease the naive, inexperienced Mariette Hartley. At one point, having been tipped off that Hartley had worn the wrong socks for a scene in which they would not even be seen, Peckinpah pretended to have a major fit, accusing her of ruining the shot. He also kept telling her that if she didn't perform to his liking, he would give her part to Joan Staley, another aspiring young actress of the time. But Hartley took the ribbing good-naturedly and had nothing but admiration and affection for her director.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Although the movie was completed in only 26 days, Creator/SamPeckinpah ran into problems when Joseph R. Vogel replaced Sol Siegel as MGM's chief executive. The mogul allegedly fell asleep while screening the film and later proclaimed it "the worst picture I ever saw," dooming its chances for a successful commercial run. MGM had no faith in Ride the High Country and dumped it on the market as the lower half of double features.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The film had originally been intended for Creator/GaryCooper and Creator/JohnWayne, but Cooper died before filming began.
** Joel [=McCrea=] was originally cast as Westrum and Randolph Scott was Judd. But early in the production each actor went to the producer on his own, dissatisfied and ready to quit, so the roles were reversed.

** Peckinpah put a number of other details and impressions from his own life into the script. His ancestors were true Westerners, and there was a mountain named for the Peckinpahs near Coarse Gold, the real-life town where the two lawmen in the movie ride to retrieve a shipment of gold. In his childhood, Peckinpah had been taken by his grandfather to a town very much like the mining town in the movie.

* PropRecycling: The tents in the mining camp were made of material that had been used for the ship sails in ''Film/MutinyOnTheBounty''.

** Joel McCrea was originally cast as Westrum and Randolph Scott was Judd. But early in the production each actor went to the producer on his own, dissatisfied and ready to quit, so the roles were reversed.
** The film's original ending had [[spoiler:Westrum dying and Judd surviving. Creator/SamPeckinpah felt it more poignant that Westrum is redeemed by promising the dying Judd that he will deliver the gold, so the characters' outcome were reversed.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Although the movie was completed in only 26 days, Creator/SamPeckinpah ran into problems when Joseph R. Vogel replaced Sol Siegel as MGM's chief executive. The mogul allegedly fell asleep while screening the film and later proclaimed it "the worst picture I ever saw," dooming its chances for a successful commercial run. MGM had no faith in Ride the High Country and dumped it on the market as the lower half of double features.

** Peckinpah put a number of other details and impressions from his own life into the script. His ancestors were true Westerners, and there was a mountain named for the Peckinpahs near Coarse Gold, the real-life town where the two lawmen in the movie ride to retrieve a shipment of gold. In his childhood, Peckinpah had been taken by his grandfather to a town very much like the mining town in the movie. McCrea and Scott thought Peckinpah's rewrites were brilliant.